I've Been There Before
by RockDiva
Summary: Woody and Dolly continually find out just how much they can rely on each others' personal experiences. It's almost as if their lives run parallel while also being interwoven.  a collection of WoodyxDolly oneshots based on a single theme
1. Witch

**Author Note - **More Woody/Dolly! I've been bitten by the bug. I just can't stop writing them even though I should be working on the final projects due in my science lab! Anyways, this particular story will be a collection of oneshots based on Woody helping Dolly through something he's been through before or vice versa (though mostly it will be Woody helping Dolly I think at this point). The oneshots will all be generally independent of one another, although some references may interweave themselves as I go along. Don't know until it happens I guess.

This idea was basically born many many many months ago from a drabble I wrote for a community called "disney_uberland" over on LiveJournal. This first oneshot is even more specifically an elaboration of the content in that drabble. So, I hope you all like it (and don't worry, there will be more in the other story I only just published lol and maybe even another story on the way ahhh!).

_Disclaimer - I don't own Toy Story 3, but honestly you should know that by now. Plus, I haven't read a lot of stories in this section, so any similarities I assure you are coincidental._

**I've Been There Before**

**1. Witch****  
**

The Andersons had stepped out for the evening and the toys were busy taking advantage of their free time in various ways. "Dolly, have you seen the…" Woody was about to ask Dolly where the remote for Bonnie's little T.V. was, some of the toys wanted to watch a movie, but he could immediately tell that the rag doll's mind was far away as she stared out the window. "Hey, you okay up there?" Without thinking twice, he abandoned his task of finding the remote and climbed up to join her. "It's a pretty sunset," he attempted to solicit a reaction.

"It is," she nodded, but she kept her gaze fixed outside.

"I can understand why you'd prefer to watch this over a movie," he smiled as he admired the way the orange light of the setting sun colored the world outside and he noticed how it even managed to reach through the window and intensify the orange of Dolly's dress while also brightening her face and hair.

"Woody, am I scary?" Her abrupt question threw him off guard and he stuttered to respond. "I mean, do I look scary? Am I, well, am I ugly?"

"I don't understand," Woody shook his head in complete confusion as he looked her over trying to figure out what prompted such random questions. "What makes you even ask?"

"Well, I know I'm not the prettiest doll around. There's my large eyes and one tooth, but do you think it makes me look scarier than other dolls?" Finally, Dolly had the nerve to actually turn and face him. Perhaps she was trying to give him a good look so he could answer honestly.

"I don't think you're ugly," Woody furrowed his brow as he looked down at her. "Or scary. Where's this even coming from?"

Dolly sighed and darted her eyes away from him. "I don't know, it's just, well…kids only make the ugly toys the villain right?" Suddenly a light went off in Woody's head and he thought he knew what she meant. "I know I'm probably just being silly, but…Bonnie always makes me the scary witch so I thought, maybe it means she loves me the least. Maybe I'm…oh, I don't know," Dolly hung her head, not knowing how to continue. She was about to just tell him to forget she mentioned it.

"Maybe you're not as good as the other toys?" Her head shot up and her eyes practically bore holes into him as hard as she stared. He continued knowingly, "Maybe you were thinking, why would Bonnie want you when she's got someone like, well, someone like Jessie for example?"

"H..h…how did you know that?" Dolly searched his face in confusion.

"Because," Woody gave a half smile, "I've been there before." He saw her eyes widen slightly. "It was about 10 years or so ago. When Andy first got ol' Buzz Lightyear…the world's greatest toy." There was a hint of harmless sarcasm in Woody's voice as he recalled the events that took place after Buzz's arrival. "Let's just say, I went from being number one to being second best. During those first few weeks of playtime, I was the villain so that Andy could use Buzz as a super cool hero. Only, he was more ruthless than Bonnie makes me with you," he laughed a little, pointing out the general difference between how boys play and how girls play. Dolly smiled, but remained silent so he could continue. "Eventually, I got so jealous I acted a bit irrationally. I was tried to push Buzz behind a desk so Andy would take me along out to dinner one night and I ended up knocking Buzz out the window instead." Dolly gasped. "I know. I'm still pretty ashamed of it. But long story short, me and Buzz both ended up lost and had to get back to Andy's. We became friends along the way, but…not before I finally admitted how worthless I felt with a toy like Buzz around," Woody sighed, surprised at how real the memory still was for him even after so long.

"Oh, Woody," Dolly placed a hand on his arm. "That's awful."

Woody gave her a grateful smile. "It was. Or at least it felt that way. But you know what?" She shook her head as she dropped her hand. "Turns out Andy was excited to see both of us when he 'found' us again," he used his fingers as air quotes so she would understand what he meant. It left her curious as to how they managed it, but she didn't ask. "The point is, Andy still loved me. I had been wrong in thinking he didn't. I might not have been as good looking or flashy as Buzz so it was easy for him to get so attached to Mr. Space Ranger over there. But Andy still loved me in spite of it and eventually he made me and Buzz both heroes during playtime."

Dolly smiled for a moment, but then it faded. "But I've almost always been the scary witch," she pointed out.

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean it's because you're ugly or scary. I understand why it's easy to think that, but you'll be better off if you choose not to believe it. Trust me," he laughed. "Besides, I bet Bonnie just really liked the idea of a scary witch and she thought you were the best candidate because…well, do you really think any of the others could be as awesome a witch as you? I mean, I know I wouldn't feel right battling anybody else," he half teased and she smiled again in spite of herself.

"I guess that's true. I am a great at whatever I do," she joked, but Woody could tell her heart wasn't as into it as usual. And without warning, the mood changed and all Woody wanted to do was figure out how he could make her really understand. He felt the notion to take both of her hands in his and he couldn't resist it. Dolly looked down at his hands on hers in slight confusion, but her heart fluttered as she looked up at the tall cowboy who towered over her.

"Dolly, I _am_ serious about what I said. I really don't think it's because you're ugly or scary." He looked her over carefully. "Didn't you say once that Bonnie made that dress for you and that's why you love it so much? No kid who doesn't love you would have gone through the trouble of customizing you," he said with conviction. "And that same kid gives you just as much a spot on her bed every night as the rest of us. More than some of us actually," he pointed out. Ever since having been given Andy's toys, there wasn't enough room for all of them on the bed and Bonnie had taken to rotating them as best as she could. However, Dolly basically held a permanent spot, along with Woody and a few of the others.

Dolly smiled as she realized how carelessly she had forgotten both facts in her irrational state of mind. Woody was right about how easy it was to think the worst. "I guess you're right," she finally said. "I just wasn't thinking clearly." Dolly looked down at their hands again for a moment before adding, "And neither were you." He raised an eyebrow. "You said you're not as good looking as Buzz, but I don't think that's true, cowboy," she said.

"Oh, uh, did I?" Woody suddenly felt nervous in a way he hadn't in a long time. "Well, I must have been, I mean, I…" he stuttered.

"Maybe not as flashy," she teased, giving him a chance to regain his composure. "But every bit as handsome," she reiterated. "More even."

"Well, I don't know about that," Woody managed through an embarrassed chuckle.

"Hey, Woody! Did you find that remote yet?" Buzz called up to them in a clueless fashion, breaking the moment.

Woody and Dolly looked down at their hands and suddenly moved apart in simultaneous shock and embarrassment as they realized they way they'd been acting. It had been so natural, neither of them had realized it when it was happening.

"It's, uh, I think her mom set it up on the top shelf over there," Dolly pointed, trying to act casual.

Buzz turned and looked, squinting his eyes. "Oh I think I see it. Thanks!" He then sprinted off.

"Well, I guess I'll go see what they're planning on watching," Woody backed away awkwardly. "Might be something good," he shrugged as he began to climb back down to the floor.

"Right, right," Dolly nodded a little too enthusiastically. "I, uh, I might join you guys later."

"Oh that'll be nice," he felt like he was just babbling at this point, as part of him wanted to bolt and the other part didn't actually want to leave.

"Yeah, so I'll see you later I guess," Dolly said with her usual smile. "And, um, you know, thanks, Woody," she said before he could walk away. "It helped."

"My pleasure," Woody tipped his hat and returned her smile before turning his back to leave, Dolly also turning her back so as not to watch him as he went. Woody took a few steps before coming to a halt. He stood there for a few moments before gathering the nerve to turn back around. "Oh and hey, Dolly," she turned around quickly, startled by his voice. "You're beautiful," he blurted out and then turned and walked away as fast as casually possible, leaving a flabbergasted Dolly behind him.


	2. In My Arms

**Author Note - **Another oneshot already? This thing seriously assaulted me not 5 minutes after I finished the other one. And while writing, I kept thinking, is this thing ever going to end? But I hope you guys don't think that too haha. I think this idea was somewhat tackled by Cerulean Pen's _Buttons_, which is a great story btw, as it came to mind a few times when I was writing this. Speaking, of stories, I just realized I have several Woody/Dolly stories I need to read and catch up on! So I hope to do that soon since I want to appreciate the amazing writers who also love this ship :) Okay enough rambling now.

_Disclaimer - I don't own Toy Story 3, but honestly you should know that by now. Plus, I haven't read a lot of stories in this section, so any similarities I assure you are coincidental._

**I've Been There Before**

**2. In My Arms****  
**

"Face it, Sheriff Woody!" Bonnie held Dolly in one hand and Woody in the other. "You've finally lost! Hahahaha!" Bonnie moved her hand to simulate Dolly flying on her witch broom.

"I never lose!" Bonnie declared as she imagined Woody jumping to rip Dolly's wand from her hand. Bonnie placed Woody's toy hand on Dolly's arm, her own fingers wrapped around the arm as well, and pulled. However, the little girl unintentionally pulled much harder than she realized and there was a sudden sound of ripping. "OH NO!" Before any of the other toys could sneak a glimpse, Bonnie had dropped Woody to the floor and run from the room crying, "Mom!"

"What just happened?" Several of the toys asked as they gathered around Woody. Only a few of Andy's toys realized what it possibly could have been from a previous experience.

Woody looked down at his own arm, inspecting the stitching before giving a slight sigh of relief, feeling a little selfish for worrying about his own arm first. "Dolly's arm ripped," Woody said before quickly moving out into the hall and as carefully as he could towards where he heard Bonnie practically in tears as she spoke to her mother.

"Bonnie, there's nothing I can do about it right now, sweetie. We have to leave soon for SunnySide." Mrs. Anderson then looked her daughter over before adding in a chastising tone, "And you really should have been getting read instead of playing anyways, young lady."

This caused Bonnie's lip to quiver uncontrollably until at last she gave into her tears. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to. It's my fault Dolly's arm is broke. And now she's ruined!" The words came through sobs and snivels.

As Woody watched, his heart ached for his owner as she blamed herself for what happened. _Well don't just stand there and let her cry, _he thought and as if listening, Bonnie's mother knelt down and took Bonnie into her arms. "I'm sorry, Bonnie. It's not your fault. Not really." Teaching the consequences of disobedience was a fine line to walk for any parent and Mrs. Anderson decided Bonnie had learned her lesson well enough for one day. "Let me see Dolly," the woman gently took the doll handed to her by her daughter and began to inspect the damage. "Oh it's not so bad."

"Yes it is! She's ruined!" Bonnie sobbed once more.

Mrs. Anderson stood back up and sat Dolly on the kitchen table. "Listen, Bonnie. I know you don't want to, but go get ready now and I promise after daycare, I'll do my best to fix Dolly okay?"

Woody didn't wait to hear the little girl's response, but instead hurried back to her room before she could come and notice him missing. Sure enough, it wasn't long after that Bonnie returned and began getting ready for SunnySide, albeit slowly as she still seemed sullen from the morning's event. Mrs. Anderson called for her to hurry up and Bonnie grabbed her backpack. However, before leaving, she grabbed Woody from off the floor and gave him a hug. "Don't worry, Woody. It's not your fault," she said lovingly before laying him on her bed and scurrying out of the room.

"Poor, Dolly," Jessie was the first to speak as the toys came to life once more.

Woody dropped to the floor as the toys huddled together. "What's going to happen?" the peas asked in childlike confusion as Mrs. Potato Head did her best to comfort them.

"Oh that the best of toys should perish first," Mr. Pricklepants declared melodramatically, sorrow in his voice.

"Perish?" Trixie felt suddenly worried for her friend. "This can't happen!"

"Guys, wait, you guys," Woody tried to calm everyone down.

"Yeah, we have to do something!" Rex immediately went along with Trixie even if he had no real reason to.

"Rex," Woody shot him a threatening glance as Bonnie's original toys chattered in a state of panic and confusion. "YOU GUYS!" Woody finally shouted, bringing them to silence. "Listen. Nobody's going to perish, especially not Dolly. She'll be fine, I promise."

"How do you know?" Buttercup asked curiously.

"Yes, what mystical bond of love gives you such certainty?" Mr. Pricklepants chimed in.

"Mystical bond of lo…what are you talking about?" Woody looked at the hedgehog in confusion as he heard Jesse snicker a little. "Oh for crying out loud," he finally became impatient. "I'm telling you, she'll be okay and you're just going to have to take my word for it," he declared and turned to walk away so they would know that it was the final word he would say on the matter.

"Don't worry everybody," Buzz intervened after the fact. "You can trust him. He knows what he's talking about," he assured them calmly and they finally seemed to listen.

"Hey, Woody," Jessie followed after the exasperated cowboy. She placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Just because we know she'll be okay, doesn't mean she does. Remember how you felt?"

Woody bit his lip a little and then nodded. "Yeah, I do. I better go talk to her," he said and then turned towards the door.

"You do that, Sheriff," she teased slightly before returning to the others.

* * *

Woody quickly reached the kitchen. His eyes scanned the room and he saw Dolly was still sitting on the table where Mrs. Anderson had left her. Her legs dangled slightly off the side, her eyes closed in noticeable despair. He carefully climbed up onto one of the far chairs and then onto the table. He walked over and stood behind her for a moment, trying not to stare at her damaged arm.

"Hey howdy hey there little missy," he said quietly enough as not to startle her, even though he was sure she probably already knew he was there.

She gave a heavy sigh, opening her eyes a little. "Oh, Woody, what am I going to do?" She rolled her eyes to examine her arm before sighing once more. "Bonnie was right. I'm ruined," Dolly said, taking for granted whether or not Woody had overheard Bonnie's scene with her mother. "She's never going to play with me again. I'm going to be…I'm…oh," she didn't finish as she brought the hand on her okay arm up to her face. She wasn't actually crying, but she shook her head in distress just the same.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Woody carefully sat down on the table beside her. "You heard Bonnie's mom right? She's going to try to fix you."

"She was just saying that to calm Bonnie down. I'm not an old toy, Woody, but I'm not dumb. I know that's just what parents do in situations like this," Dolly dropped her hand from her face in defeat. She was trying hard to be brave, levelheaded, and everything else she was known for, but it seemed rather pointless at a time like this.

"Well, yeah, they do sometimes I guess," Woody thought for a moment as he recalled how Wheezy had been shelved with the promise of being fixed and how Ms. Davis hadn't followed through. "Here, let me see your arm," he decided to take a closer look at it, if only to calm his own sudden bout of uncertainty.

She moved it closer to him carefully and he took it into his hands. However, their eyes locked the moment they touched, as if the shock of it forced them to look at one another. Time seemed to freeze momentarily as Woody held on gently, forgetting what it was he was doing in the first place.

Woody suddenly felt an irrational urge to apologize. "I'm sorry," his voice was low, not a whisper, but still just so she could hear.

"It's not your fault," Dolly responded much more rationally. She didn't blame him, or even Bonnie for that matter, for what had happened. It wouldn't make sense to. After all, they had been inanimate when it happened. It had been Bonnie's imagination that caused the sheriff to pull on the witch's arm.

"I know, but…" his sentence trailed as he inwardly debated with himself over what it was exactly he wanted to say. And why did he find himself struggling to keep from leaning closer and closer to her? "Dolly, I don't know –" he was on the verge of admitting something, maybe something he would regret or maybe something he wasn't quite sure of just yet, when suddenly the grandfather clock in the nearby living room chimed loudly, sending them both apart. Once he was able to think clearly again, Woody looked at Dolly's arm and realized what very well could have happened in his state of panic. "It's a good thing I let go of your arm instead of ripping it more," he said with a genuine sigh of relief.

"I'll say," she tried to smile as her mind raced with thoughts of what seemed to have been transpiring between them prior to their scare. However, another look at her arm brought her attention back to the very serious problem at hand. How Woody had somehow made her forget about the looming disaster was beyond her comprehension at the moment. Right now, she was once again beginning to feel anxious over what her ripped arm meant for her future. Or maybe she was even more anxious now as she suddenly thought about how that future probably wouldn't include Woody.

As if reading her worried mind, Woody tried to inspect Dolly's damaged arm once more in order to positively reassure her. This time, however, he didn't grab her arm like before. Instead he moved as close as he could and attempted to inspect it with his eyes. He noticed very quickly that the tear seemed slightly different than his own previous tear. Then again her arm wasn't exactly the same, even if very similar as far as material went. Finally, he had no choice. He carefully lifted her arm with one hand and used his free hand to run his fingers gently across the seam.

Dolly tried her best, but couldn't hold back a fit of giggles. "I'm sorry," she said in between the little laughs. "I'm just sort of ticklish," she explained.

He nodded in understanding and let go of her arm. Moving away, he gave her a smile. "It's just like I thought. Everything's going to be okay," Woody said confidently.

"I don't understand," Dolly wanted to believe him. In fact, just hearing him say so did make her feel more at ease, but looking at her arm it seemed helpless.

"It's just a popped seam," Woody responded. "It seems bad, but it's nothing a little needle and thread can't fix. I'm sure Mrs. Anderson will realize that when they get home. You'll see." He then tapped his chin a little. Not all humans were clever. "But if for some reason she doesn't, then we'll just do it ourselves later."

Dolly felt her fears dissipate. He seemed to know what he was talking about. A needle and thread did seem more than logical and she wondered why she hadn't considered it before. "Thanks, Woody. I'm glad you know what you're talking about."

"I ought to," he gave a small laugh. "I had my own arm rip during playtime once. I got shelved," he heard her gasp a little. "Then I ended up in a yard sale, was stolen, met Jessie and Bullseye, had my arm fall off entirely, had it fixed, managed to get found by Buzz, had my arm ripped again, and eventually made it back home where Andy fixed me himself," Woody said in one long breath as Dolly's head bobbled back and forth with each different thing he explained that happened to him.

"Oh is that all?" she asked with a chuckle. "Wow, cowboy, you sure get out of the room a lot don'tcha?"

"I guess you could say that," he nodded. "But my point is, you don't have to worry. It feels like the end, believe you me, but our kids usually love us enough to make sure we're fixed. And when they don't, that's what friends are for," he smiled and patted her on the back in a friendly sort of way, although it felt slightly awkward after what had happened only moments before.

"So your entire arm really came off?" Dolly asked, having a hard time picturing Woody as a one armed cowboy doll.

"Yeah, it really did," Woody was glad he could laugh about it in retrospect. "And here's the stitching from where Andy fixed me the second time it was ripped," he scooted closer and twisted so she could see his right arm, since she was sitting on his left side.

"Andy sure was the resourceful one wasn't he," Dolly commented in admiration. Without thinking to even ask, she touched the stitching with her left hand and once again the two found themselves noticing just how close they were. "I feel like this is getting to be a habit," Dolly spoke even more freely than she was already known for as she locked eyes with him.

Woody blushed, still being on the nervous side when it came to any sort of intimacy. "Well, I, uh…" This time it could have been just his imagination, but he was sure he was leaning in closer. Maybe this was what he wanted after all.

"Hey, Woody!" Jessie came bounding into the kitchen.

"What now?" Woody groaned as he screwed his eyes shut in annoyance, although inwardly his emotions warred back and forth over whether or not they were grateful for another interruption. He looked down at the cowgirl as she neared the table.

"Sorry to interrupt you two from, well, from whatever that was," she gave a slight wink at Dolly and the rag doll blushed and looked away. "But things are getting antsy again in Bonnie's room. They all wanna know where you've gone, Woody and they still wanna know how come you're sure Dolly'll be okay."

"What…but I…ugh," Woody fumbled and mumbled in exasperation. "Seriously?" Dolly laughed a little. She had quickly figured out Woody had a short fuse at times, even if he never meant any real harm by it. She had to admit even she could get easily annoyed with her companions. "Why didn't Buzz just explain to them about my arm? Honestly, it's like he…" he saw Jessie shoot him a stern glare and he let his sentence trail. "Just tell them the story, Jess," he shook his head.

"Alright, alright," the cowgirl rolled her eyes and left.

"Look, you better go," Dolly said once they were alone again. "You know how they can get. You can't leave Jessie and Buzz to fend for themselves," she teased.

"Right now you're more important to me than them," Woody admitted with surprising ease.

"Don't worry. I'm fine now," she smiled. "If you say everything's going to be okay then I believe you. The others need you right now." Woody smiled. She certainly cared about the wellbeing of her fellow toys, much like a quiet leader.

"If you're sure," he gave her one last chance to change her mind.

"I'm sure," she nodded. "See you again in no time, right?"

He glanced at her arm and then looked at her with a smile. "Right," he answered before leaving her alone on the table.

* * *

"What are you?" Bonnie said as she held Trixie in one hand.

"I'm a dinosaur!" She said as she held Rex in the other.

"But I thought I was the only dinosaur left in the whooooole wide world," Bonnie said excitedly for Trixie.

"Well…" Bonnie began to speak for Rex again when she heard her mom's voice behind her.

"Bonnie," Mrs. Anderson stood at the door holding Dolly out in front of her. Bonnie turned and saw her beloved rag doll and immediately stopped what she was doing. She hurried over to her mother and carefully took Dolly into her hands.

Bonnie carefully inspected the doll's arm and saw a line of stitching where Mrs. Anderson had sewed the fabric back together. "You fixed it!" Bonnie squealed in delight as she then hugged Dolly to her closely, but cautiously as the worry of her arm ripping again entered the little girl's mind.

"She's as good as new now," Bonnie's mother reassured her. "But remember to be careful, sweetie," she added and Bonnie nodded emphatically. "Now, we need to pick up something at the store so be ready in a few minutes," Mrs. Anderson said as she left the room.

"Okay," Bonnie nodded. "But first the patient needs her rest," she said before using her step stairs to place Dolly on her highest shelf. "Sorry for what happened, Dolly." she apologized before hopping down and leaving her room.

"See, what'd I tell you?" Woody asked smugly as the toys sprung to life. "She's perfectly fine."

"But she's been shelved," Trixie pointed out worriedly.

"No, no, it's not like that. I'm sure Bonnie just wanted to make sure she was some place safe for awhile. She probably doesn't want to take any chances," Woody tried to explain.

There was a round of "oh's" and eventually the toys set about doing various things as though nothing had happened. Woody waited to be sure everything was finally settled down before looking up at the top shelf. He had assumed Dolly would join them, but after a few moments of not even seeing her feet dangled over the edge, he wondered if anything was wrong.

Woody climbed up the top shelf and as he peaked over the edge he saw Dolly studying her arm. "You were right, cowboy," she said when he finally climbed onto the shelf itself.

"Wow and she used purple thread," Woody came closer to look at the stitching. "That is a nice touch."

"I thought so too," Dolly said with an eager smile.

"So, are you going to join us? I'm sure the others would love to see your arm," Woody looked at her curiously as she suddenly looked uncertain.

"Well, I'd like to, but," Dolly hesitated. "Wow, this is really embarrassing, but I was a little afraid of climbing down with my arm. Just don't want it to rip again."

"Here," Woody carefully felt the stitching. Dolly looked away as he did, hoping to maintain composure this time around. "Why that's some quality work. Nothing to be afraid of," he assured her, even if he really wasn't _that_ much of an expert. She gave him a trusting smile. "But, uh," he gulped, a chivalrous notion having entered his mind. "I could help you, if you're still not up to it just yet."

"Oh, wow!" Dolly blurted out much to her embarrassment. "I mean, yeah, if you don't mind and, hahahaha," Dolly rambled and laughed nervously at the gesture, her thoughts a jumbled mess.

"It's no problem," Woody responded as calmly as possible. He held out his hand and she took it. They walked towards the edge of the shelf and just before they reached it, Woody pulled her close to him. He wrapped one arm around her torso, lifting her into the air just a little. "Alright, hang on," he instructed and she obeyed. Woody closed his eyes for a moment, a wonderful feeling pulsing through him as they clung tightly to one another. Finally, he gathered himself and with one arm, began a cautious trek back down to the floor, where the other toys were watching the performance.

Once they reached the floor, Bonnie's original toys swarmed around them – praising Woody's heroics and inspecting Dolly's arm. She then proceeded to tell them what it was like to be sewn back together, nobody noticing that Woody and Dolly were still holding hands.

Nobody that is except for Buzz and Jessie who stood a little ways off. "Did I miss something?" Buzz finally asked the cowgirl in confusion.

"Oh, Buzz," Jessie rolled her eyes, but smiled at him just the same. "Let's just say I have a feeling things are definitely going to be different around here after this."

* * *

**A/N (cont.) **While writing this, I swear I kept thinking, "It's so fluffy I'm going to die!" because I felt like I kept piling it on and on. Hope you guys enjoy it and that it's not too much cheese and fluff for you to stomach and it's not annoying or anything. Also, I feel like in my past few stories, I keep teasing with almost Woody/Dolly kisses but not actually delivering. Sorry if anyone thinks I'm being too cruel...


	3. A Case Of Nerves

**Author Note - **Super short one here. Sorry guys. I've been really busy lately so I'm just grateful to have been able to write anything. I have a couple of things coming in terms of Dolly/Woody not for this collection as well so be on the lookout for those soonish hopefully.

_Disclaimer - I don't own Toy Story 3, but honestly you should know that by now. Plus, I haven't read a lot of stories in this section, so any similarities I assure you are coincidental._

**I've Been There Before**

**3. A Case of Nerves****  
**

"Okay, you guys. Bonnie's birthday party is any time now and you know what that means," Dolly tried her best to sound calm and casual as the others gathered around her. "Bonnie may or may not get any new toys, but if she does, you all know the drill." Bonnie's original toys all nodded while Andy's old toys looked at each other in slight confusion. It was their first birthday with Bonnie and they couldn't help wonder if it would be different than how birthdays with Andy had been. "Buttercup, you go over the basics with everyone while I go take a quick look at things," she excused herself as Buttercup began to explain things for the benefit of Andy's old toys.

Dolly was just at the door when Woody's voice startled her from behind. "I never pegged you as one to run reconnaissance missions on birthdays." She turned to see him with his arms folded across his chest and a questioning smirk on his face.

"Well, uh, I don't know if I'd call them reconnaissance missions. We just like to be ahead of things when we can. You know, the times when toys aren't dropping into our lives unexpectedly," she gave him a playful wink and Woody rolled his eyes.

"Oh yeah, I could see how that would be bad," he played along as they both began their careful trek to where they could spy on the goings on of Bonnie and her parents as they got things ready for the party.

"So, we do a little spying on the party so we can be prepared for whatever happens," Dolly continued once they reached a safe spot. "I mean, it rarely happens. We were a pretty small group before you guys came along. Bonnie doesn't really get a lot of new toys. And when she does, it's usually unexpected. But it doesn't hurt to be prepared right?"

"No, I agree," Woody immediately responded, glad for yet another thing in common with Bonnie's toys, or at least one of them. "We used to do the same thing for Andy. Only, he was always getting new toys it seemed like. Now _we _had all out reconnaissance missions, with army men and walkie-talkies. Oh you should have seen it," he said as if he wanted to somehow pull her into his memories.

His cheerful reminiscence brought a smile to Dolly's face as she imagined Woody at the helm of such an operation. "That sounds like it would have been fun," she said with slight longing in her tone, although neither seemed to truly notice.

"It was," he nodded, not even realizing how he was gazing at her with a dreamy look on his face.

Dolly knew that he was probably still far away in the past, mentally, but Woody's intense stare still made her feel self-conscious and made her feel as though her butterfly hair clips were actually fluttering about inside her stuffing stomach instead of holding her pigtails up. "So, uh…" she finally managed to tear him away from his reverie. "Did you ever get nervous?"

He blinked at her a few times. "About new toys?" She nodded. He looked away hesitantly. Even on the day of Buzz's arrival, Woody had always kept a strong facade when it came to birthdays and holidays. It was just part of who he was. "Well, between you and me, yes," he admitted with a deep sigh. He trusted her to keep his secret. "I never let anyone know, but it wasn't easy keeping a room full of toys relaxed and open to change. I mean, I've never really handled change well myself," he was continually surprised at how easy it was to share his deepest secrets and feelings with Dolly. Maybe it was because things were different in Bonnie's room and he didn't feel the same pressure or maybe it was just because she made him feel comfortable. Either way, she was quickly learning things about him no one else – save maybe Buzz and Bo – had ever known.

"So it's not just me then?" Dolly looked like a serious weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

"No, it's definitely not just you," Woody had to admit he was a bit surprised that she got nervous. She was so inviting. She seemed pulled together in so many ways, not lacking the confidence that most toys could be prone to. "I think every toy experiences it. It's that sense of not knowing if you'll be replaced or if this will be the birthday where your kid suddenly gets something great that doesn't involve playtime…like a laptop or something," he tried to explain. "It's normal to be nervous," Woody tried to reason, although he knew such logic hadn't stopped him from thinking irrationally when he would get nervous.

"I guess I just feel like it's silly for me to worry. It's not even like me really," Dolly admitted, giving Woody more reason to think she wasn't like other toys. "I think having more toys around would be fun. You being here has been proof of that. But I still get that nagging feeling every now and then of things changing beyond my control. I suppose it's not easy being a toy is it, cowboy?" She decided she was ready to lighten the mood, making Woody wonder if sometimes her witty nature was her own little comfortable defense. It sure was more pleasant than his temper, he thought to himself, but he wasn't about to let even her in on _that _thought.

"Well, it's not easy for toys like us anyways," Woody placed his hand on her shoulder and looked her in the eyes. "We care too much about things. We want to keep things together."

"We feel too deeply," Dolly added, his hand soliciting a strangely wonderful feeling against her ragdoll skin.

"Yeah," Woody nodded as the air became thick around them. "It's like you can't stop even if you think you want to," there was a strange tone to his voice as his hand slipped downwards on her arm just a little.

"And maybe you would wish you hadn't if you did," Dolly continued the train of thought easily, although the feeling of Woody's hand on her arm and the closeness between them made her wonder what exactly they were talking about now. Did they still mean how they felt as leaders among the other toys or was it another matter entirely that they were trying to figure out where they stood.

"Maybe," Woody looked thoughtful as the word seemed to hang in the air. Just as soon as he looked like he was on the verge of making sense of something, the two toys heard a squeal of delight coming from their young owner. They both turned to see what was going on, Woody's hand falling from Dolly's arm in the process.

"What is it?" Bonnie looked like she was about to explode as Mr. Anderson brought out an early birthday present for his daughter. He carefully set it down and Bonnie eagerly opened the lid to the box that wasn't even wrapped. "A kitten!" Her sudden cheer rang out loud and clear as she carefully pulled the gray little animal from the box and giggled over how it immediately tried to climb up onto her shoulder.

Woody and Dolly, on the other hand, didn't seem to share in her enthusiasm. They stared with equally wide eyes. "Say, cowboy," Dolly said out of the side of her mouth as she now placed her hand on Woody's arm instead, although keeping her eyes fixed on Bonnie and her new furry companion. "You wouldn't happen to have any stories about cats you'd like to share now would you?" The question was one part playful and one part hopeful as the thought of the animal worried her in ways a new toy never could.

"Uh, not exactly," Woody chuckled nervously. "Andy had a dog," he said as he finally turned and looked at her. He could easily tell that she was just as nervous as he was. This time, however, they could be there for each other while being there for the others, he decided. The others! They had to go warn them, he suddenly realized.

As if reading his thoughts, or maybe because she was thinking the same thing, Dolly suddenly turned to Woody and said, "We need to tell everybody. This is pretty big." She was surprised that the only response she got was his lips curling up into an odd sort of smile as he looked down on her. "What?"

"Nervous?" he asked finally asked.

"Well, yeah," she answered, not exactly sure why it was particularly relevant at the moment. That is, until he reached out and grabbed her hand and she decided she suddenly couldn't care less about relevancy.

"Good. So am I," he said as his smile widened. "Let's go." He then pulled her along back towards Bonnie's room, not once letting go of her hand as they hurried to share the news with their friends.

* * *

**A/N (cont.) **Like I said. Short. And with minimum fluff. But I hope you all enjoyed it anyways. Also, I hope dog lovers don't hate me for giving Bonnie a cat! It's not that I don't picture Bonnie as a kid that wouldn't want a dog (since most kids want dogs right?). It's just that I sort of picture Mrs. Anderson as being the kind of mom not really into the idea of having a dog. Or at least, not trusting Bonnie to have a dog just yet. You know? Maybe it's just the way she comes across to me in the film *shrugs*

Oh but now for something that has nothing to do with my writings, I need to gush over the promotional stuff that has come out for the new Toy Story _Hawaiian Vacation _short. Have you seen it! Have you seen it! (I'm guessing you probably have, but I'm going to share my thoughts anyways lol). If you haven't seen the article or the 30 second clip, both links are in my profile so feel free to go take a look at them so you can gush along with me. Basically, there are a few things pertaining to Dolly and Dolly/Woody that I feel the need to point out. 1. In the picture of all the toys together, if you look, they chose a picture where Dolly just so happens to be standing next to Woody! That's great, but add to it that from left to right it's Dolly, Woody, Buzz and then Jessie, it looks like they are two couples xD Since this is the position Bo would have been standing for sure. 2. Placing here seems to solidify everyone's notion that she's a major part of Bonnie's room because it comes across as though she's a leader along with Woody, Buzz and Jessie. 3. In the video clip, if you pay close attention, before Woody even says anything, Dolly glances over at him like she knows something's off and he's probably going to say something (connection!). The only other toy that looks at Woody is Buzz (which makes sense of course) but only after he starts talking. GAH! This is good. This is very very good yes? It at least lets us know we're not completely crazy right? Okay. I'm done overanalyzing now.


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